MENA Conference

The Regional Conference of the Red Crescent & Red Cross Societies in the Middle East and North Africa holds regularly since 1999, It is a platform where national societies meet from three regions (the Gulf, the Middle East and the North Africa) to discuss humanitarian issues of common concern.These discussions to be followed by executive steps of the most important topics that have been discussed during the conference at an international level, especially within the International Movement of Red Cross and Red Crescent. The conference includes 16 national societies.Based on the decisions of the 9TH Regional Conference that have been held in the Amman – Jordanian in January 2017, it was decided to hold the 10th Regional Conference in Baghdad. Organizing this conference in Iraq occurs when the region is witnessing an increasing humanitarian challenges, and it represents as an opportunity to discuss these challenges and find solutions to them.

Date and Location of the conference

The 10th Regional Conference of the Red Crescent and Red Cross Societies in the Middle East and North Africa will be held on Wednesday and Thursday 18 -19April, 2018 in Baghdad, the capital of Iraqi Republic at Rasheed Hotel (Royal Tulip).The participants will be accommodated at this hotel which is located in the International Zone (known also as the Green Zone). The is 20 minutes far from Baghdad International Airport. The Iraqi Red Crescent teams will provide transportation from Baghdad Airport to the Hotel and vice versa and also with all the internal transportations.

Conference Registration

All participants are kindly requested to check the Iraqi Red Crescent Office at Al Rasheed Hotel to register their attendance and receive their identification badges from the organizing committee. The registration will start from 08:00 – 17:00 on Tuesday 17 April 2018, and from 08:00 – 10:30 on Wednesday 18 April 2018.

PRESS RELEASE

Baghdad, 18 April 2018 – Red Cross and Red Crescent leaders from across the Middle East and North Africa gather today in Baghdad to discuss the region’s escalating humanitarian crises.More than 140 attendees, including representatives from 16 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, will attend the conference to explore a range of issues, including the shrinking of neutral and impartial humanitarian space, and the rising vulnerabilities of millions of migrants.“The Iraqi Red Crescent Society is pleased to welcome our Red Cross and Red Crescent partners to plan our collective strategy for the next decade,” said Dr Yassin, the President of the Iraqi Red Crescent.“Only together, standing by our humanitarian principles, and advocating for protected humanitarian space, can we alleviate the suffering of millions of vulnerable people in our region.”The Middle East and North Africa region is home to the world’s most pronounced humanitarian crises. The conflict in Syria, now in its seventh year, has left 13 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. In Iraq itself, 15 years of conflict and economic stagnation have left more than 8.5 million people relying on humanitarian relief. In Yemen, more than 80 per cent of the population is in need of aid today – 3.4 million people more than one year ago – after conflict devastated the health system and other essential infrastructure. Only 45 per cent of Yemen’s health facilities are currently functioning. In Libya, 9 per cent of the country’s estimated one million migrants are minors, and 40 per cent of these are unaccompanied. These crises are happening in parallel to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Palestine.The region’s conflicts are defined by growing disregard for humanitarian laws and norms. Civilians are increasingly bearing the brunt of the fighting, and aid agencies are finding it more and more difficult to access communities in need. As a further consequence, an estimated 35 million people have been displaced from their homes across the Middle East and North Africa, according to the International Organization for Migration.Mr Francesco Rocca, the President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said: “Across the region and around the world, these people – who have fled their homes because of war or violence – struggle to access the services and support they need to survive. Even worse, they are increasingly falling victim to policies and laws that prioritize border control over humanity and dignity.“All people migrating, regardless of their status, must have access to humanitarian protection and assistance. Human rights are migrant rights.”During the conference, the Iraqi Red Crescent will nominate renowned artist Naseer Shamma as a Good Will Ambassador, in recognition of this efforts to help Iraqis affected by the conflict.At the end of the two-day conference, participants will aim to adopt the Baghdad Declaration, which will address a range of humanitarian issues and underline the importance of National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in bringing hope and support to vulnerable communities.